The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-27
AN ANIMAL HUNTERS PERIL.
"Uoc" Kane's Thrilling Adventure in
Rescuing a Fair Captive from Thugs.
A Narrow Escape from Death by Being Tern
Apart Between Two Horses-A Story Of
the Capture of Prehistoric Animals.


this week, sat person whose face, figure and
manner made him object of more than casual
notice. He was of medium height, we'll proper
toned, and IN his build and movements gave
evidence of uncommon physical power There
was restless, easy air about him that stamped
him man Of adventure. He is known as
doc" Kane, and, as a hunter and animal pro-
curer in New Zealand and Australia, he is per-
son of some celebrity in the world of show peo-
ple He is now here in the employ of
Doris and Colvin, whose menaserie is in
winter quarters in the Exposition Building. Mr..
Doris, who was one of theSparty. had just given
description of three horses having eight legs
each that he had recently procured. A reporter
inquired where he had found them and Mr.
Doris replied: THAT question / will leave to
Doc, who captured them" Kane was urged to
give an account of his discovery
You must know" he began, chat for the
last twenty years have made it my business to
furnish menageres with wild beast of all de-
scriptions and with this purpose have travelled
pretty we'll all over the habitable spots of both
hemispheres. Some of you, no doubt have seen
lions and tigers obeying the commands of
their trainers when in their cages with them.
which, if you had seen when I first saw
them. you would not think SO docile. Tho capt
ure of the horses came about in this way. My
party consisted of Ed OConnor, good natured,
whole souled Milesian; Joe Cloud and about
forty natives. chiefly Bushmen and myself. We
lay encamped in a pleasant valley between the
Shoonaba hills waiting for the foods around
that section of the country to subaide until we
would have tilt with the tigers. We had been
waterbound for some time, and, although the
rainy season was about overt usually ends in
that latitude about the latter part of August
still the waters were high and would continue SO
for some weeks, there was nothing to do but
wait The hills were full of antelope and deer.
so there was no great danger of going hungry.
The valley in which we camped might
vine We had not seem living soul
in the neigh borhood since our arrival. although
rumor had it back in our village tabout three
days Journey that that very spot or close about
there was a great rendezvous for desperate
Thugs. Complaints, or rumors, rather, had
come to my ears on two or three occasions that
q troop OF horsemen had ridden nightly down the
side of the rayire opposite to where we were
camped, and OConnor went so far AS to Avow
| that he not only heard these mysterious horse
men riding out in a northery direction about an
| hour before midnight, but that he had also heard
them returning about au hour before day and not
once alone, but three or four times. ] didn't pay
much attention to these rumors, but, with a
| spirit of inqusitiveness which can never quite
| control determined to keep an eye and an ear
| open for the mysterious midnight horsemen. l
| watched the sun 60 down that evening, and
knew from unmistakabe signs that we would
have more rain before midnight. The twilight
| was e-sded affair and seemed to lean most
| ly toward darkness. In fact. it died out almost
as as it came and the night came on sui
| lenly enough to suit the veriest misanthrope.
When was at Harvard a young fellow. we used
| to alright the freshmen with papier mache
| bugaboo known as the headless horseman, and
| 1 couldn't but think myself fresh that night and
| also watching for bugaboo. But l must say,
| at the risk Of my reputation, that fell asleep
| on my watch When awoke tie moon was
| high in the heavens, and shedding its silvery
| hight like glorious silver mantle over hill and
| dale I aroused myself and left my tent and
| walked forth charmed with the peace. and quiet,
| and beauty above and around me. judged the
| time, by the moon, to be about two hours before
| day How far wandered down the quiet ra-
| vine know not, but | suddenly became aware
| tt he moon had disappeared behind heavy
| OF clouds, and that hour always the dark
| I, 1.-The hour before the dawn was at hand.
| was about to retrace my steps when-ptteE
| lAtter, pitter patter, pitter patter, clackety
| clack, ciackety clack clackety cack came
faint sound up the valley to my ears, borre on
| the heavy air. For moment stood still and
| listened, and then knew that the sounds were
| the hoof- beats of uashod horses the rocks be
it had rained while l slept, and
now it began to descend in torrents
again. Nearer and nearer came the sound eradu
| ally swelling Then it occurred to me that il
| was high time to seek some shelter from which
| / could reconnoiter without being detected nv
| self. Fortune favored me. for just over my
| head, too high to be seen by the horsemcn and
| just high enough for my purpose. there jutteG
forth from the hillside level rock. Upon it
quickly clambered. and lay extended on my face
| and hands in such manner that could see al
| that passed beneath me without being seen my
| self. Nor had long to wait until the horsemer
came up l then noticed that they rode two
abreast, and that there we're eight in the party
the first couples rode side by side, and could b,
readily detected at the first glance as Thugs o
the worst order.
"Ths last pair. I noticed, seemed to ride a.
far apart from each other the ravine at tina
point would admit of, and in looking for rea
son imagine my surprise when noticed tina
one of the two riders was q female; for
eigner, as her attire indicated, and l no
tced that she was tied to her horse
She was prisoner. The riders appeared to b.
in great spirits, and in rather cornwall moo'
gave free rein to their tongues and being &C
quainted with their Internal gibberish. gieane'
enough from their conversation to know tina
they had robbed and murdered the parents o
the fair prisoner. and left the house Ia flame
as they came away. AS the captain and tn
captive passed close by me heard her s1ppliex
ting tor mercy, in voice rich with the sweetues
of that undesirable down East twang known a
Yankee dialect Heavens how my blood boile
at the sound Of it. 1t had been years since l.
wanderer, had heard the voice of a countrywom
an, and it was with the utmost difficulty r.
Trained from making fool of myself and lear
ing single handed into their midst Bnt Icousid
cred that was unarmed, and though had bee
armed what has l to do single handed aeains
seven bloodthirsty Thugs. All these thing
passed through my mind with the rapidisy of ex
cited thoughts. and as l looked after tn
riders as they descended the hill l starte
to my feet. and rubbed my eyes, an
and eaZed again and again. / pinched myself
m ri rair
and in several ways assured myself that wa
wide awake. sBut | was looking at somsthin
that riveted me to the ground with wonder
The horse which the Captain rode was unlik
| any animal had ever seen; for instead OF havin
but four feet it had eight and as it curiousl
am hlad down through thu ravine il xas a s4rann